THE HIGH FRONTIER: Human Colonies in Space

New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc, 1977. First printing. Very good in very good jacket.. Rare inscribed first edition of the particle physicist's exposition of his famous solution to the housing shortage and the climate crisis: energy-saving space colonies, conveniently parked between Earth and the Moon. O'Neill's proposal for human space colonies involved a series of cylinders suspended between the earth and moon at a point called LaGrange Point 5. Presented as a way to combat environmental degradation, his iconic designs (reproduced here) have gone on to have a much larger influence on many filmmakers and writers. As writer David Pescovitz wrote of HIGH FRONTIER, it "captures the wonder and sense of possibility that permeated our culture after the first moon landing and into the 1970s." The first printing of this, his landmark book, is uncommon, and it is rare signed - especially in the year of publication. 8'' x 5.5''. Original quarter blue cloth with black boards. Tiffany blue endpapers. In original unclipped ($8.95) dust jacket by Rick Giudice. Illustrated with black and white plates. 288 pages. Inscribed by the author on the half title: "With very best wishes to Eugenia Fernandez, and hopes that Brazil may join in the thrust toward the high frontier. - Gerard K. O'Neill 3/1/77." Minor wear and toning to jacket. Small closed tear to lower edge rear spine fold with tape repair to verso. Some sunning to edges of book, a few pages slightly dog-eared. Else clean and sound.